Netflix to develop its own original documentaries and stand-up specials

Streaming video giant Netflix has already had great success with producing original TV shows like House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black, but soon it will expand its original content to include documentaries and stand-up specials.

Beyond series, we will be expanding our Originals initiative to include broadly appealing feature documentaries and stand-up comedy specials. Netflix has become a big destination for fans of these much loved and often under-distributed genres.

Today’s move clearly targets HBO and other premium cable providers that produce similar types of content. HBO develops well-watched comedy and documentary specials and is one of the most notable examples in this space. Netflix has not said what producers, if any, that is has talked to about producing documentaries and comedies.

It also makes sense for Netflix to develop a wider array of content because some of the broad deals it once had with TV show producers have dried up. Netflix mentioned in its earnings today that its “broad content deal with MTV Networks” expired, and it will instead purpose licensing “specific shows that our members love.”